The Circular Economy Coalition for Latin America and the Caribbean, in strategic collaboration with the European Union’s Switch to Green program, presented Costa Rica and Peru’s plans, steps, and strategies for the circular economy on July 4 and 11.

Both Costa Rica and Peru have made significant progress in promoting more circular economic models. In this regard, both countries shared their beginnings and the steps they have taken.

Peru, for example, initially addressed the circular economy through laws regulating solid waste management and the banning of single-use plastics. These regulations are aligned with the Climate Change Law and apply to key sectors such as agriculture, industry, and fisheries. They have developed roadmaps for these sectors in collaboration with industry associations and multi-stakeholder participation, which has been instrumental in these efforts.

In the case of Costa Rica, the launch of the National Circular Economy Strategy coincided with the beginning of the peer-to-peer exchanges. During this process, they highlighted the importance that the country gave to the use and development of indicators to measure its progress, having established more than forty-seven relevant indicators. Also worth mentioning is the use of co-financing instruments and the deep involvement of various institutions belonging to the public, private, academic, and non-governmental sectors.